Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
My father said, “Neha shall come back by 3:00 p.m.”
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. “My father said that Neha should come back by 3:00 p.m.”
In the original direct speech:
My father said, “Neha shall come back by 3:00 p.m.”
When converting to indirect speech, the reporting verb is in the past tense ('said'), so the modal “shall” should be replaced accordingly.
According to grammar rules and examples:
“Shall” expressing future obligation or instruction is typically changed to “should” in reported speech.
“Will” becomes “would,” and “shall” becomes “should” in this context.
The best indirect form is therefore:
My father said that Neha should come back by 3:00 p.m.
Why the other options are incorrect:
Option 2: “My father said that Neha will come back by 3:00 p.m.”
Incorrect because “will” should become “would”, and “shall” should become “should” when the reporting verb is past tense.
Option 3: “My father told that Neha should come back by 3:00 p.m.”
“Told” usually needs a direct object (e.g. “told me”), so the sentence is grammatically incomplete.
Option 4: “My father told that Neha shall come back by 3:00 p.m.”
Keeps “shall”, which should be changed in reported speech. Also uses “told” without an object.